6 Best Essential Oils for Weight Loss – Best Blends and Recipes

What Are The Best Essential Oils For Losing Weight?

Overweight means one thing: your body is absorbing more food and nutrients than the energy you expend for work and metabolism. Weight gain can also be due to excess alcohol consumption, (added) sugars, refined carbohydrates, and fats. They slowly accumulate in the body and can sometimes be hard to curb. Factors like depression, stress, boredom, sleeplessness also contribute to weight gain. In fact, it can sometimes go unnoticed until you stare at the mirror. Weight gain changes our lifestyle and our wardrobe literally.

How Essential Oils Can Help

You have probably tried many weight loss pills to slim down, only to discover you have regained the lost weight after a while. If you want a fast, natural and lasting way to lose weight, Essential Oils are the solution. They have been in use for a long time for their powerful healing powers. Your commitment to the weight loss program, together with essential oils will help you pull through by limiting your appetite, enhance metabolic activities, aid digestion, regulate blood sugar, and improve your mood. All these, coupled with a healthy diet and lifestyle, and exercise will help you lose weight in no time.

Best Essential Oils for Weight Loss

There are many essential oils to lose weight, but I have highlighted the oils you will find useful.

Grapefruit Oil

Topping the list as the best essential oil for weight loss, grapefruit oil is known as an antiseptic and disinfectant; however, it helps with weight loss too. Obtained from the peel of the grapefruit, the oil helps the body to activate enzymes that help the body break down fats. It contains Nootkatone, a natural chemical compound that stimulates the AMPK enzyme. This enzyme controls the level of energy in the body and the rate of metabolism. The introduction of Nootkatone into the body system boosts chemical reactions in the brain, liver, and skeletal muscles. The grapefruit also has limonene as its primary components that induce lipolysis; the process where fatty acids are released into the blood and broken down for usage.

When you use grapefruit oil for weight loss, it subdues appetite, boosts energy, prevents bloating, increases metabolism, cleans toxins, and reduces the rate of water retention.

Usage: Grapefruit oil can be used internally by putting 1 or 2 drops inside a glass of water.

For topical usage, dilute the oil with a suitable carrier oil (preferably olive oil) and massage onto the places where fats are accumulated (belly, neck, etc.).

You can also mix the oil with patchouli oil to curb appetite and hunger.

Cinnamon Oil

Gotten from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree, cinnamon oil is an excellent essential oil for weight loss. It has a delightful fragrance and also helps the body reduce appetite and boost metabolism. It works by improving insulin levels and reducing inflammation. Insulin is a hormone that helps to break down fats and carbohydrates, through the absorption of blood glucose by fat storage or conversion to energy. When insulin is unable to do its job through the non-responsiveness of cells in the body – called insulin resistance – fat is stored instead of getting burned making it difficult to lose weight. Cinnamon Oil stops this by heightening the sensitivity of insulin in the brain.

Cinnamon oil can be taken internally by adding it to a glass of water, tea, baked goods, or honey. You can also use the oil with a diffuser or simply dab cotton on it and inhale directly.

Peppermint Oil

Peppermint Essential Oil contains menthol, a component that makes it cooling and minty. Although it is popular as an essential oil for a cough and other breathing conditions, peppermint oil is an excellent essential oil for losing weight. It not only functions as a digestive aid, but it is also a mood relaxer, energy booster, appetite suppressor, bloat reducer, and metabolism booster.

For use, you can use peppermint oil for weight loss by inhalation. Put a few drops on cotton and breathe in before meals.

You can also put a drop in a glass of water and take internally.

Lemon Oil

Lemon oil is extracted from the rind of the lemon fruit and works in a similar way with the grapefruit. It helps to reduce the rate of weight gain, boost energy, relieve pain, aid digestion, and enhance the mood. It contains limonene, a powerful fat-dissolving component that also induces lipolysis. Lemon oil helps the body get rid of harmful toxins which otherwise would be stored in the fat cells.

It also works as a mood booster, helping to alleviate the depression that aids weight gain. It boosts norepinephrine levels: this hormone increases oxygen levels in the brain, stimulates mental functions and enable muscle efficiency.

Use Lemon oil with a diffuser or inhale directly from cotton swab dipped into the oil.

Bergamot Oil

Bergamot Essential Oil helps to suppress the urge to eat, especially during depression and stress. It helps to boost energy levels and reduce emotional eating by enhancing the mood. Not only is it an antidepressant, but it also has polyphenols that help the body to burn fats and sugars.

Usage: You can use the Bergamot oil by inhalation. You can add a few drops on your hand towel and sniff in the vapors.

Alternatively, you can use the oil topically by first diluting in a suitable carrier oil like coconut oil and massage on your neck, down to your feet. You can also put a few drops in your bath water.

Ginger Oil

Ginger Oil not only acts as an anti-inflammatory agent, but it also helps to regulate body sugar cravings. It aids digestion and nutrient absorption as well. The ginger oil has as its primary component, gingerols, which help to reduce intestinal inflammation and aid your weight loss attempt.

How to Use Essential Oil for Weight Loss

When getting Essential Oils for weight loss, ensure you buy only therapeutic-grade oils. They are potent and can be very toxic, which is why I suggest you dilute with carrier oils especially before topical usage. Another way to avoid negative reactions is to perform a skin patch test to check the suitability of the oil for use.

Essentials oils, especially those of citrus origin, are photosensitive. Therefore, you shouldn’t use them if you are preparing to go under the sun. I would suggest you stay out of the sun for 8-12 hours after usage. Better still, use before going to bed.

How To Use Essential Oils For Weight Loss

Use with your bath water by adding a few drops or soak yourself in the tub for 30 minutes.

Use topically by rubbing the diluted oil over the body or in fatty areas.

Use with your lotion and anti-fattening creams.

The Best Essential Oil Blends for Weight Loss

Though Essential oils can be used individually, their functions are enhanced by blending two or more together. Blending the best oils for weight loss allows you to enjoy the full features of aromatherapy, and experience emotional and physical wellness as you pursue your weight loss program. The following are essential oil recipes for weight loss.

Recipe 1 – Bath Blend

Ingredients

5 drops of grapefruit oil

5 drops of ginger oil

5 drops of orange oil

5 drops of sandalwood

5 drops of Lemon oil

1 cup of raw apple cider vinegar

Blend the materials together and add to your bath water. Soak yourself in the tub for about 30 minutes.

Recipe 2 – Fat Burning Blend

Ingredients

2 drops of peppermint oil

2 drops of grapefruit oil

2 drops of lemon oil

12 drops of coconut oil (liquefied) to be the carrier oil.

Mix the materials together and store away from sunlight. You can make more in the same ratio.

Recipe 3 – Fat reducing massage blend

Ingredients

1-quarter cup of almond oil

5 drops of grapefruit oil

5 drops of lemon oil

5 drops of cypress oil.

Mix the oils together and rub over your body.

Recipe 4 – Appetite Suppresser

Ingredients

40 drops of mandarin

20 drops of lemon oil

12 drops of ginger oil

12 drops of peppermint oil

Blend the oils together and use with your diffuser.

About the author

Sally Wong

Sally Wong is a manual therapist for about 15 years now and also a massage specialist. She is actively taking care of her body to stay healthy and in shape by doing Yoga and Tai Chi. She has a lot of knowledge and interest in Essential Oils because of her Oriental background. She learnt many things from her Grandmother. Originally from a small village in South China, now she lives in Vancouver, Canada.